Foam fire extinguisher



Jan. 5, 1937.

c. F.. SMITH FOAM FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed April 24, 1933 .IN VENTOR.-

Patented Jan. 5, 1937 PATENT OFFICE FOAM FIRE EXTINGUISHER (larlisle F. Smith, Elmira, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to American-La France- Foamite Corporation, poration of New York New York, N. Y., a cor- Application April 24, 1933, Serial No. 667,553

15 Claims.

This invention is an improvement in fire extinguishers of the kind commonly designated as stationary equipment although within the invention, it might also be portable. The fire extinguishing medium is foam, and is produced by the reaction of chemical solutions well known in the art, separately stored in the extinguisher and mixed at the time of use, the foam being conducted to the fire by a hose or other conduit.

: The object of the invention is to bring about the mixture and reaction of the solutions in apparatus of greater compactness than heretofore and to produce therefrom a maximum delivery of the best quality of foam, equal or superior to that '15: produced by the conventional type of foam engine which must be tipped or inverted to be dis- 9 charged. The non-tipping extinguisher of this invention requires less floor space than the conventional tipping engine and does not require to be protected .by any guard or enclosure.

The superior action of the new engine results from the manner of discharging and mixing one of the foam-making solutions into the other, exemplified by the apparatus shown in the accompanying drawing illustrating the form at present preferred.

Fig. 1 is a partial elevation partly in vertical central section of the new apparatus in its normal or undischarged condition;

Fig. 2 a plan view thereof, and

Fig. 3 a vertical section illustrating the same parts after discharge.

The extinguisher or engine comprises a main container I which rests by its base 2 on the floor or any suitable support, being preferably cylindrical and taller than wide, on which account it may be termed column-shaped. At its top it is closed by a gasketed cover 3 appropriately bolted in place so as to be removable for recharging.

One of the foam-making solutions is stored in the lower part of this main container, being filled therein up to the level mark provided as usual. This solution may be the basic solution of sodabicarbonate and stabilizer. The complementary solution, that is the acid-salt solution such as aluminum sulfate is normally stored in an inner receptacle 4 which, to enable it to have the proper motion within the compact dimensions of the main receptacle, is preferably made of spherical form or substantially so. It is normally supported in the upper part of the main container by being suspended by its bail 5 on a releasing hook B, the shank or spindle of which is journalled to rock or turn in a fixture I fixed in the wall of the main container. Outside of the latter the hook spindle is fitted with an operating crank arm 8 arranged to be operated by a weight, pullcord or the like. Rotation of the hook as by means of this crank disengages it from the bail 5 of the inner container and allows the latter to fall.

The spherical receptacle is further supported by a pair of tether chains 9 hanging from a hook It on the side wall or on the fixture I and fastened, preferably, to its bottom part.

When the inner receptacle is released from the hook 6, it is restrained by the chains so as to turn and fall to the position indicated in Fig. 3, dashing its contents towards and against the opposite wall of the main container, the result being a particularly effective mixture and reaction of the two chemicals, which is further promoted by the upsurge of the mingling liquids through the contracting passageway formed between the descending sphere on the one hand and the wall of the main container on the other, the sphere being only a few inches smaller than the diameter of the main receptacle, though con siderably larger than half that diameter.

Because of the curvature of its walls, the inner receptacle can have the largest possible volume for a given diameter of main container, thus permitting the latter to be of fairly slender columnar form, which is desirable, while yet accommodating the most efficient relative volumes and strengths of solutions needed for the production of perfect foam. For this reason the preferred shape of the inner receptacle is spherical as already stated. The two chains constitute a movable support for it and provide the axis on which it turns when released. Such axis is represented by the line of the two chain fasteners near the base of the sphere, and moves downwards and to the right during the first part of the descent of the receptacle and then upwards to the left during the latter part, substantially on an arc about hook ID as center. It is close to the right hand side of the main container when the receptacle has fallen about half way and holds the position of a chord of the cylindrical container. Incident to such motion, the spherical receptacle has a rolling motion vertically downwards on the side of the main container against which it is normally in contact. By virtue of the movable turning axis, a large volume receptacle, that is to say, one having a height which is almost equal to the inner diameter of the main container can be made to fall or turn inside the main container so as to carry its mouth from an upper normal position well above the liquid level therein to a discharge position which is well below such level, in the meantime throwing its contents with some force into the other solution, all of which contributes to the quality of the foam produced.

In its final position, indicated in Fig. 3, the mouth of the sphere opens downwards and is then spaced from the bottom of the main receptacle a certain distance sufiicient to insure that there will be no unreacted excess of either solution after discharge. This position which is critical can easily be ascertained by trial, being indicated as correct when there is a maximum volume of uniformly neutral foam produced. In the dimensions indicated in the drawing the distance from the bottom is about one and one-quarter times the diameter of the sphere. Adjustment of the final position can of course be made by adjusting the height or length of the tether means. There is however no intended limitation to the use of these chains for controlling the descent of the inner container, inasmuch as other means can obviously be devised for equivalently controlling the descent of the released receptacle and arresting its descent at the proper distance from the bottom.

Uniformity of the reaction brought about by the release of the container is enhanced by the provision of means to prevent or diminish any buoyancy thereof as it falls in the basic solution. For this purpose the tube H is fixed therein to produce or permit a balance of pressure during the act of inversion; this may be termed a balancing tube and it is fixed at the side of the sphere which is on top during the descent. Still further improvement results from imposing a restriction to flow at the outlet l2 at the top of the main container. This restriction is indicated at l3, being considerably smaller in cross area than the cross area of the main part of the outlet or the hose or pipe attached thereto (not shown), but not so much smaller as to give rise to any undue diminution of the force or range of the foam stream projected from a delivery nozzle if one is attached to the outlet. Its particular action and advantage is to diminish the effect of temperature variation on the characteristics of the discharged foam stream, thereby producing substantially the same range at low as at high temperatures. This is a new and valuable effect in apparatus of this kind. A drain I4 is provided at the bottom of the main receptacle.

I am aware of prior extinguishers of the sodaacid type in which the acid bottle is tipped or inverted so as to pour its contents into the basic solution. The present invention differs from such prior extinguishers in various particulars of which I may mention the relatively larger volume of liquid carried by the inverted container and the fact that the basic solution is held in the bottom of the other container in the form of a relatively deep body or pool. When the inner receptacle dumps its relatively large volume of solution into such a body, of narrow transverse dimensions, the mixing effect is prompt and thorough resulting in a more or less complete chemical neutralization of one reagent by the other and in consequence producing substantially the maximum possible volume of foam of which the solutions are capable. In the soda-acid extinguisher on the other hand thorough mixing of the reagents and complete or substantially complete chemical neutralization does not occur and would serve no purpose since the function of the reaction is primarily to produce pressure and not, as in the case of foam, to produce a substantially neutral gas-filled discharge medium,

I am also aware of a prior proposal to drop a spherical container of acid foam-making solution into a body of basic foam-making solution, but in this as well as in other proposals like in kind, there was no provision for producing a dependable dispersion of one solution into the other so as to produce the maximum volume of foam of constant chemical character. Accordingly it will be understood that there is no intended limitation of the present invention to the particular mechanical detail above described except as pointed out in the more limited of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an extinguisher of the general type having a main liquid-holding container and a liquidholding receptacle releasably held and adapted to be inverted inside of the main container to pour its liquid into the liquid of the main container for chemical reaction therewith; the improvement whereby such type of extinguisher is adapted for the production of foam in substantially maximum proportion to the amount of the contained liquids, which consists in the combination of such container and releasable receptacle being respectively sized to hold complementary volumes of foam-making solutions of concentrations adapted for substantially neutralizing each other when thoroughly mixed, the main container being of generally columnar form and its contained solution being held in its lower part as a relatively deep pool, the inner receptacle being releasably mounted in the upper part of the main container and means constructed and arranged to cause said inner receptacle to invert itself by inversion about a predetermined turning axis, when released, to dash its whole contents into said pool, and the diameter of the part of the container holding such pool being correlated to the volume of the solution in the inner receptacle so that the dumping of the latter into it results in substantially complete chemical neutralization the one with the other.

2. Foam-making apparatus comprising a main container for foam-making solution, an invertible inner receptacle releasably supported in the main container with its mouth normally uppermost, said inner receptacle having a height only slightly less than the width of said container and being of a size suiting it to hold the complementary quantity of the other foam-making solution, a support for said receptacle providing a movable turning axis therefor which approaches one side of the main container on the release of said receptacle, and releasing means for causing said inner receptacle to turn on said axis.

3. Foam-making apparatus comprising an upright substantially cylindrical, main container for one foam-making solution, an invertible inner receptacle releasably supported in the main container with its mouth uppermost, said receptacle having a height materially greater than half the diameter of said main container and a capacity suited to hold the complementary quantity of the other foam-making solution, a movable support connected to said main container for said inner receptacle and providing a laterally movable turning axis for the latter, said turning axis holding positions of chords of said cylindrical container and releasing means for causing said receptacle to invert about said axis.

4. Foam-making apparatus comprising an upright substantially cylindrical, main container for one foam-making solution having a foam outlet in its upper part and a restriction in said outlet,

an inner receptacle releasably supportedfor inversion within the main container, said receptacle havinga capacity suited to hold the complementary quantity of the other foam-makingsolution,.a supportyeon'nected to said main container' for said inner receptacle and providing a turning axis for the latter, on which said receptacle may swing and dash its contents into the solution of said main container and releasing means for causing such motion of said receptacle.

5. Foam-making apparatus comprising a main container for a foam-making solution having a foam outlet at its upper part, a restriction in said outlet, an invertible inner receptacle for the com plementary solution adapted to be releasably supported in the main container, the diameter of the inner receptacle being substantially greater than half the diameter of the main container, and supporting means for the inner receptacle providing a turning axis therefor adjacent one side of the main container, there being means for holding said inner receptacle at a distance above the bottom of the main container when inverted.

6. Foam-making apparatus comprising a main container for one foam-making solution, an invertible inner receptacle suited for holding the complementary solution and means for supporting said receptacle in a position within the main container from which it may descend through the liquid in the latter to a position near the bottom of said main container and for providing an axis on which it may turn in its descent, said inner receptacle having its mouth normally at the top, an open tube extending between the mouth and the bottom of said receptacle and means for releasing said receptacle to allow such descent.

7. Foam-making apparatus comprising a column-shaped main container for one foam-making solution, an invertible inner receptacle normally releasably supported in the main container with its mouth uppermost, said inner receptacle being round and of a size suiting it to hold the complementary quantity of the other foam-making solution, means for constraining said receptacle to roll vertically downwards along the vertical wall of the main receptacle to an inverted lower position whereby its solution is discharged in transit.

3. Foam-making apparatus comprising a column-shaped main container for one foam-making solution, an invertible inner receptacle adapted to be releasably supported in the main container with its mouth uppermost, said inner receptacle being round and of a capacity to hold the complementary quantity of the other foammaking solution, means for constraining said inner receptacle to roll vertically downwards along the side of said main container to an inverted position, and for holding the receptacle inverted at a distance above the bottom of said container.

9. In foam-making apparatus a column-shaped container holding one foam solution, an inner receptacle holding the other foam solution, said receptacle having a diameter only slightly less than that of said container, supporting means in said container providing a turning axis on which said inner receptacle may turn to inverted position, the Wall of said receptacle being vertically curved inwardly from its maximum diameter.

10. Foam-making apparatus comprising an upright cylindrical main container of a foam-making solution, an invertible inner receptacle for the other solution normally supported in the uppermost, said receptacle being substantially spherical in form and of a diameter only slightly less than-the diameter of said main container, means mounted in the main container constituting a support for said spherical receptacle on which it may turn from said upper position to a lower position in which it is inverted and releasing means for causing said receptacle to turn.

11. Foam-making apparatus comprising a column-shaped main container of substantially circular section for one foam-making solution, a substantially spherical inner receptacle suited to hold the complementary quantity of the other foam-making solution, and releasably supported in the main container with its mouth uppermost, the diameter of the spherical receptacle exceeding half that of the main container, and a flexible connection between the bottom part of said spherical receptacle and the upper part of said main container.

12. Foam-making apparatus comprising a cylindrical main container for one of the foammaking solutions having a foam outlet at its top, an invertible substantially spherical inner receptacle releasably held in the upper part of said container with its mouth uppermost, the diameter of said spherical receptacle being only slightly less than that of the cylindrical container, means for releasing said receptacle to allow it to fall with a. rolling motion and means for stopping the descent thereof when the mouth of said receptacle reaches a downward inclination.

l3. Foam-making apparatus comprising a column-shaped main container for foam-making solution, a substantially spherical invertible inner receptacle for the complementary solution releasably supported in the main container with its mouth normally uppermost, the diameter of the inner receptacle being substantially greater than half the diameter of said container, movable means on said container connected to the lower part of said spherical receptacle providing a movable turning axis therefor and adapted to support said receptacle when inverted, and external means for releasing and causing inversion of said receptacle.

14. Foam-making apparatus comprising an upright main container of columnar form adapted for holding a certain quantity of one of the foammaking solutions, an invertible inner receptacle normally positioned in the upper part of said container with its mouth uppermost, means for supporting said receptacle providing a turning axis about which it may turn over to point its mouth downwards, the height of said inner receptacle being only slightly less than the cross dimension of said main container at the point where it' turns over and the capacity of said inner container suiting it to hold a quantity of the other foam-making solution complementary to the quantity of the first mentioned solution and sufficient for substantially neutralizing the whole of it to produce a maximum volume of foam, said main container having a foam outlet opening out of the upper part thereof, and means to cause said inner receptacle to turn over and dash its contents into the other solution.

15. Foam-making apparatus comprising an upright column-shaped container for one foammaking solution, having a restricted outlet for the connection of a pipe or hose, the restricted outlet opening out from the top of the container, and the restriction being substantially smaller than the passage through said pipe or hose, an

upper part of the main container with its mouth container, said inner receptacle having a turning axis adjacent one side of said container whereby its contents are dashed toward the 0pposite side side, and means for releasing the inner receptacle to cause it to turn about said axis.

CARLISLE F. SMITH. 

